Peter Garsden is the head of the Abuse department at Simpson Millar LLP. He is also President of the Association of Child Abuse Lawyers.
Call 0845 604 7075

Wednesday, 9 May 2012

Is abuse of girls only committed by Asian Men?

Today, you will have seen the headlines today that nine men have been found guilty of grooming, entrapping, then raping girls in the Rochdale area. One of my staff has been involved in the case from an investigative point of view, and regarded the result, after an 11 week trial, as a real victory for justice. See the story in the Manchester Evening News

The facts are appalling, the offences deserving of long sentences.

The vulnerable girls were all white, and as young as 13 when the offences were committed. All the men were part of the Rochdale Pakistani Community and most were married. The girls were often runaways or the victims of the care system, who, after being given the affection which they craved were plied with drink then raped, and driven across the North West to have sex with other men.

The men worked as Taxi Drivers or in the Tasty Bites and Balti House in Heywood where some of the girls were given free kebabs and vodka as they were groomed for sex.

The vulnerable girls,
some of them runaways or in the care of social services, were given the
attention they craved before being plied with drink, raped and driven
all over the north to have sex with other men.
Most of the men are from Rochdale's Pakistani community and were married
with children.
They worked as taxi drivers or in the Tasty Bites and Balti House in
Heywood where some of the victims were given free kebabs and vodka as
they were groomed for sex.
The trial heard how the men abused a string of white girls.

The vulnerable girls,
some of them runaways or in the care of social services, were given the
attention they craved before being plied with drink, raped and driven
all over the north to have sex with other men.
Most of the men are from Rochdale's Pakistani community and were married
with children.
They worked as taxi drivers or in the Tasty Bites and Balti House in
Heywood where some of the victims were given free kebabs and vodka as
they were groomed for sex.
The trial heard how the men abused a string of white girls.

The vulnerable girls,
some of them runaways or in the care of social services, were given the
attention they craved before being plied with drink, raped and driven
all over the north to have sex with other men.
Most of the men are from Rochdale's Pakistani community and were married
with children.
They worked as taxi drivers or in the Tasty Bites and Balti House in
Heywood where some of the victims were given free kebabs and vodka as
they were groomed for sex.
The trial heard how the men abused a string of white girls.

The vulnerable girls,
some of them runaways or in the care of social services, were given the
attention they craved before being plied with drink, raped and driven
all over the north to have sex with other men.
Most of the men are from Rochdale's Pakistani community and were married
with children.
They worked as taxi drivers or in the Tasty Bites and Balti House in
Heywood where some of the victims were given free kebabs and vodka as
they were groomed for sex.
The trial heard how the men abused a string of white girls.

The vulnerable girls,
some of them runaways or in the care of social services, were given the
attention they craved before being plied with drink, raped and driven
all over the north to have sex with other men.
Most of the men are from Rochdale's Pakistani community and were married
with children.
They worked as taxi drivers or in the Tasty Bites and Balti House in
Heywood where some of the victims were given free kebabs and vodka as
they were groomed for sex.
The trial heard how the men abused a string of white girls.

The media reporting has been hijacked by several side issues, which boost the headline potential, but detract from the seriousness of the offences:-

The Police, Crown Prosecution Services, and Council, have all apologised for failings in their processes. One of the girls in particular complained of the abuse back in 2008, but was not believed by either the Police or CPS. As such her abuse continued until a decision to prosecute was made in 2009 some 11 months later. Whilst errors were made, the real culprits are the abusers - for more detail see this story in the Manchester Evening News

The British National Party have jumped on the Band Wagon to claim it was a racially motivated crime. The Chief Constable of Greater Manchester has denied there was any racial motive and said that this was simply an appalling case of child abuse, which could have happened in any community. It is undeniable, statistically, that a high proportion of Asian and Afghan men in the North of England are involved in this sort of crime, higher statistically than the regional average population. There have been calls for a Public Enquiry to find out the cause of the racial bias towards this part of the community.

As an experienced child abuse lawyer, I see this story, I am afraid as typical of the behaviour of organised paedophile rings who prey on young girls from the care system for sex, and grooming. It has happened before with white men, and white girls. My own view is that such girls will be an obvious target for any group of men with such desires. It so happens that the Asian community is a preformed group of people who naturally will be able to work together without having to form a special network for the purpose of accessing under age sex. I agree with the Chief Constable that this has nothing at all to do with race. If one is going to choose a target audience, vulnerable young girls are an obvious first choice, particularly when they are needy of affection, in the way that those in care obviously are.

I doubt whether an expensive Public Enquiry will unearth much more than the above, other than to look into the ways that the network organised itself, to plan the crime, if indeed such evidence can ever be unearthed. We must watch and listen to see what develops.